Book

Introduction to 64 Bit Assembly Programming for Linux and OS X

📖 Overview

Introduction to 64 Bit Assembly Programming for Linux and OS X is a technical programming guide focused on x86-64 assembly language. The book covers both Linux and macOS platforms, providing examples and exercises for each operating system. The content progresses from basic assembly concepts to advanced topics including floating point operations, SIMD instructions, and optimization techniques. Code samples demonstrate practical applications while building fundamental skills in assembly programming through hands-on practice. The text includes detailed explanations of CPU architecture, memory management, and system calls specific to both Linux and OS X environments. Reference materials and debugging tools are integrated throughout the chapters to support the learning process. This book serves as a bridge between high-level programming languages and machine-level operations, revealing the underlying mechanics of modern 64-bit computing systems. The material emphasizes performance considerations and hardware interactions that impact software efficiency.

👀 Reviews

Multiple readers note this book provides a practical introduction to x86-64 assembly, though it requires prior programming experience. Several Amazon reviewers mention the explanations are clearer than other assembly texts. Liked: - Step-by-step examples build gradually in complexity - Includes exercises with solutions - Clear explanations of calling conventions and system calls - macOS and Linux coverage - Sample code works correctly without errors Disliked: - Limited coverage of floating point operations - Some readers wanted more advanced topics - A few found early chapters too basic if already familiar with assembly - Occasional editing errors noted Ratings: Amazon: 4.5/5 (87 reviews) Goodreads: 4.3/5 (23 reviews) One Amazon reviewer wrote: "Finally an assembly book that doesn't assume you already know assembly." Another noted: "The author takes time to explain concepts thoroughly without being verbose."

📚 Similar books

Modern X86 Assembly Language Programming by Daniel Kusswurm Covers x86 assembly programming with emphasis on both 32-bit and 64-bit instruction sets using practical examples and SIMD programming concepts.

Professional Assembly Language by Richard Blum Provides instruction on x86 assembly language programming through hands-on examples with focus on writing functions for higher-level languages.

Assembly Language Step by Step by Jeff Duntemann Teaches x86 assembly from machine code fundamentals through complete programs with integration of Linux system calls.

Low-Level Programming: C, Assembly, and Program Execution on Intel 64 Architecture by Igor Zhirkov Bridges assembly language with C programming while explaining CPU architecture and memory management at the hardware level.

ARM Assembly Language Programming & Architecture by Muhammad Ali Mazidi Presents ARM assembly programming concepts with connection to embedded systems development and processor architecture fundamentals.

🤔 Interesting facts

🔹 Ray Seyfarth has over 30 years of teaching experience at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he specialized in computer architecture and assembly language programming. 🔹 The book was one of the first comprehensive guides to focus specifically on x86-64 assembly programming for modern Unix-like operating systems, filling an important gap in educational resources. 🔹 64-bit assembly language allows direct access to advanced processor features like SSE (Streaming SIMD Extensions), which can perform multiple floating-point calculations simultaneously. 🔹 The examples in the book use the YASM assembler, which was chosen over NASM because it provides better support for debugging with GDB and handling of floating-point operations. 🔹 Unlike many assembly language books that focus on Windows, this book specifically addresses the Unix/Linux ABI (Application Binary Interface) calling conventions, which are essential for system programming on these platforms.